Vollering identifies key advantage over yellow jersey Reusser after Tour de France Femmes win

Success: Demi Vollering of FDJ-SUEZ claimed her stage victory in the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday, immediately increasing the pressure on yellow jersey Marlen Reusser. In the finale, she was left at the front alongside the Swiss Movistar rider and Canyon//SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma, before beating both of them to the line. Vollering discussed the victory in her post-stage flash interview.

It is rarely wise to describe a stage as perfect, but Vollering’s performance in the medium mountains of the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday came remarkably close. FDJ-SUEZ were represented at the front, helped lead the chase behind the breakaway and ultimately allowed Vollering to extend her advantage over dropped rivals such as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Elisa Longo Borghini.

“It was a really amazing race. Every rider on the team played a part, and those are the victories I enjoy most: when everyone has worked so hard for it. That makes it extra special and beautiful, because you genuinely achieve it together,” Vollering began in her flash interview.

“Marie [Le Net] kept me near the front from the start of the day and collected bottles, and later Amber [Kraak], Célia [Géry], Franziska [Koch], Juliette [Berthet] and Évita [Muzic] all contributed,” Vollering said after the finish, listing the work of her teammates. “Everyone played her part today. That only makes the victory even more special.”

Vollering made the decisive selection on Mont Brouilly, after a group of six riders had already moved clear on the penultimate climb. Only Niewiadoma and Reusser were able to follow her. With their interests aligned, the three worked well together until the finish, where the stage came down to a sprint.

“I knew Kasia would go early, because that is what she almost always does. I also knew Marlen would gamble. So I allowed her to gamble for a moment to see whether she would close the gap, but she didn’t. Then I thought: if we do nothing, Kasia is going to win, and I will not even have tried. So I thought: I simply have to go for it, even though Marlen might still come past me.”

Vollering was far from certain that she had timed her effort correctly. “At one point, I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but somehow I managed to hold on. It was a real relief when I crossed the finish line. I gave everything all the way to the line. It was an incredibly long sprint, and I really needed every metre of that finishing straight, but I did it. I’m extremely happy.”

The victory also allowed Vollering to take more bonus seconds out of her deficit to yellow jersey Reusser, who now leads her by twelve seconds. “She is definitely one of the biggest rivals, and things are looking very good for her. The only advantage I have is that I have already won the Tour, just like Kasia. Marlen has never won it, so she will also have to work hard for it.”

Mont Ventoux awaits on Friday, before two more challenging stages around Nice on Saturday and Sunday. First, however, the riders must negotiate a potentially treacherous transitional stage on Thursday. “It is definitely going to be a hard battle. Marlen is not someone you can simply beat, because she is incredibly strong, but of course I am going to do everything I can.”